Budding Blossom
by Annabella x
Summary: And as the flower buds blossomed and the trees were in full bloom, they played. And as the swings swung, and the ground erupted in flowers, they played. Severus Snape and Lily Evans. Always. ONE SHOT. NO ROMANCE.


**Budding Blossom**

That summer, as the green trees flourished and the grass grew lavishly, something infinitely more precious was rising in the hearts of two young children.

Friendship. These two children, like so many before them, frolicked on the park's leafy lawn, giggled by the freshly painted yellow roundabout, and swung on the park swings so high they were always a little afraid, fearing they'd fall off. But they would never have admitted this to the other.

These two children were Lily Evans and Severus Snape, eleven years old and coming from extremely diverse backgrounds.

Lily Evans had startlingly vivid red hair and emerald green eyes. She lived in a suburban semi, in a calm, peaceful area. That was the story of Lily's life: calm and peaceful. Sometimes Lily couldn't stand the dull monotony of everyday life, and she set off to the bright, messy park, where anything could happen, generally with her older sister, Petunia. Petunia was Lily's best friend, as well as her only sibling. Lily had many friends at school, but she was extremely close to her older sister, and spent most of her time with her.

One day, when Lily and Petunia were swinging to and fro in the park, Lily, her hair wildly blowing in the breeze, and with an uncontrollable urge to do something rebellious, jumped off the swing at its highest point. She landed safely, with not a scratch on her. It was at this moment that Lily's life changed forever. On that breezy summer's day, a boy named Severus Snape came into her life, and brought with him a whirlwind of fun, laughter, and… magic.

Severus Snape was a boy who was neglected, both physically and emotionally. His father, after a night down at the pub, would often lash out at Severus, and his mother would timidly shy away in the corner. His house was dilapidated and almost black with grime, and in a deprived area overshadowed by factories spewing out their black cloud of filth, his only escape was the park across the river. The park was always magical to Severus, the woods especially. The leafy canopy stretched out like a vast green sky, and the hardened, rough brown trunks of the trees calmed and comforted him whenever he was particularly upset. It was here, in his special place, that he first met Lily Evans, showing her first signs of magic. He always took this as fate, and the days he spent in the park with Lily were the happiest days of his life. Severus needed friends. The primary school he went to was full of tough kids, hardened from living in poverty for all of their lives. Severus' jaw-length, matted, greasy black hair and sallow appearance—with his hooked nose—did little to earn him friends, either.

So when Lily and Severus first met each other, they both desperately needed a real friend; someone to listen, and be a shoulder to cry on. But, at that moment, with Petunia looming over her, it would have been all too easy for Lily to turn away, or for Severus to rethink his decision to approach her. And yet, neither of them moved.

In the days to follow, in the dusty, hot summer holidays, Lily and Snape forged a bond so deep that they thought nothing could ever conquer it. True friendship knew no bounds.

These two kids, so different, had one thing in common. Lily was a witch, and Severus a wizard, and in September, they would go off to a magical school to hone their talent into something breathtaking.

In the years to come, this duo would splinter apart at the seams, one of them hurt beyond belief: the other bound forever to excruciating guilt. Eventually, one of them would begin dabbling in the Dark Arts, losing himself in the process. The other would become the star of Gryffindor: Prefect, Head Girl, James Potter's girlfriend. In ten years, one of them would be murdered. In ten years, the other would cease to live a meaningful existence. In twenty-eight years, a dark lord would be defeated.

None of this mattered to the two eleven-year-olds playing in the stifling heat. They didn't care about the future. They lived in the here and now, and right now, all the kids cared about was finishing their game of tig.

And as the flower buds blossomed and the trees were in full bloom, they played.

And as the swings swung, and the ground erupted in flowers, they played.

For this was the summer of 1971, and these two children were about to embark on something so powerful and strong, it would end up killing them.

_Severus Snape and Lily Evans. Always._


End file.
